Yes, I really did save my trash for an entire year...

Crazy, eh?

Let's see, what are all of the questions running through your mind?

Where do you keep it?

Comments

[David]

Hey "maximum efficiency", just because someone has time to make some posts does not mean "they have no life". It's actually quite quick and easy to type. Unlike you, who obviously has a learning deficiency, just because it took you all day to make your post, for those of us who graduated at least 7th grade, it's nothing more than typing what you think. Also judging by your lack of reading comprehension, you may have been inbred which explains a lot, I never said "it is more sensible to go back to throwing garbage out the window". I said that is where recycling began. My point, which you could not understand was, no one brought up global warming or whined about saving the planet then. You have no basis for your argument, you are the one speaking from your gut. Were you here millions of years ago when the earth was going through yet another global warming episode? Trying to sound smart is different from actually being smart. Stop watching T.V so much and take your blinders off. FYI you are human, so stop putting down humans. You are not above anyone so stop acting high and mighty. Maximum efficiency also said "They also didn't have endless plastic bags from the supermarket, or computer goods that have a 5-cm item encased in 20 cm of that hard sharp plastic that I have to cut through to get my product". So if it benefits you, you will buy the product. Nice sticking to your guns and boycotting the product you buy. You are what many of you "for the earth People" are....HIPOCRITS!!! Get off your computer, which is made of this deadly hard sharp plastic, put your thesaurus away, and uhhh get a real life!!! I'm way to busy to be on here, I have to throw more oil into the garbage.

[PlanetThoughts.org]

I don't buy packaged goods, sodas, or water bottles, and don't accept plastic bags at stores. Those things are terrible to me, and an ugly fad of today's crazy throw-away world. Some food also gets composted in my house, but since I am not living alone, not all of it does.

My personal shopping is very limited to non-existent, just replacing worn clothes, and every four years some new electronics to replace the old one (laptop). Trash is hardly an issue for me personally, but I am happy to see a beginning to more organized recycling of electronic items and legislation to that effect by governments.

What I am trying to say is that it is pretty simple to reduce trash to a minimum. The key is to be motivated by things of the heart and mind, and not be too concerned with material items.

[James Strickland]

First of all, thanks for doing this. Everyone just assumes that trash disappears.

I currently live in Japan. Living here has made me aware of how much trash I consume and how much junk food I consume or food in general. When you have to take the trash out twice or three times a day, you consume a lot of trash (I have a large family).

Here in Japan, it is common to see 3 types of trash cans in public places. One trash can for burnable items, one for aluminum & one for glass. When I move back to the States, this is the way I will separate my trash. I will burn all burnable items and recycle. I use to just forget about it and throw everything away. I have learned a lot from the Japanese, they are so smart about most things... (could use some help on driving tho). There's no "supersize" at McDonalds here. Restaurants serve just the right portions. Made me mad at first, because I would have to order 2 portions just to get an American size.

enough rambling from me.

Keep up good work!

-James

[Roberto Correa]

Hey Bud,
I never expected to say this: Good on you for bringing awareness... On a strange but original way.

My point is simple, with all your experiments around the trash collection, have you set a benchmark? I mean? you tried to use what you normally would or have decreased the number of consumption because (unconscious) lack of space?

Have you been aware that your brain could be playing you and consequently made increase your level of consumption to get more impact at any stages of your experiments?

Hasta!

[maximum efficiency]

I disagree with the anti-env argument "hey, it's real cold today, so that disproves global warming". It is a childish oversimplification to think the global warming or climate change argument means think when you were young and add 5-10 degrees to every day. More likely and reasonable is that the average will move hotter a bit, and the tail ends of the bell curve will fatten a bit -- meaning a higher average, but with more extreme hot and extreme cold days.
So whereas when you were a kid, you had one day of freezing weather at a stretch, now you'll probably get 4 days in a row. Similarly, you got 2 days of 100+ -- now you'll probably get a week. But for the rest of the year, the weather will seem normal.
The significance is most of the creatures in the environment have evolved and adapted for 2 days of 100+, but not for a whole week. This happened in California where the beef livestock starting dying off quickly in the 10-day heat wave (I forgot if it was 2006 or 2007).
However, humans have an unfortunate inability to think in curvilinear or statistical relationships. That is why it is so easy for humans to dismiss it because their brain can only draw a line from Point A to Point B.
Ha ha ha -- the next evolutionary point will be -- "a species can survive a decade of disbelief, but can that species survive a century of disbelief?"

[maximum efficiency]

Poster David says: "WAKE UP PEOPLE AND GET A LIFE!!!!" This implies he thinks we're all wasting our time on this project and this discussion. However, it is quite surprising that for such a waste of time he has posted several comments, indicating he has no life to afford sitting around all day backing up his position with the brilliant argument that "everything is fine".
I've noticed the anti-environmental argument is usually based on "everything is ok", "it will never run out", "no way humans could have an effect", or some other sort of gut-based statement, whereas environmental arguments will have some data or videos of glaciers falling in the ocean, or at least some sort of objective data to support the argument. The anti-environmentalists run from their gut, and they should keep a year's worth of that as a counter project to see that what comes from their gut is a heap of s***.
Also, I disagree with Poster David's history lesson arguing it's far more sensible to go back to the days of throwing garbage out the front window. Then you'd really see a year's worth stacking up year after year.
Back then was great -- you didn't have cheap goods that self-destruct within 2 years, necessitating buying a new one. They also didn't have endless plastic bags from the supermarket, or computer goods that have a 5-cm item encased in 20 cm of that hard sharp plastic that I have to cut through to get my product.
As for WWI patriotism to use US products, the US generates loads of great trash that can be recycled. The US has some of the highest quality trash in the world. It is a valuable resource produced in the US, so would help the current "Gruesome-Twosome" twin deficits that threaten to eat us all.

[lol]

throw away your trash you dirty hippie

[Dion Good]

Dude, You stole my idea!

[Tiffany]

I am glad to see so many people who recycle, etc. from both sides of the political spectrum. This really isn't a red/blue issue.I mean, who doesn't care about nature and the quality of his or her environment? We should all try and put pressure on companies that insist on making ridiculously heavy, unnecessary packaging for their products to come up with some recyclable alternative. Or push for putting a deposit return on water bottles, similar to soda can.
One last thing: For those looking to keep household items out of landfills, check out Freecycle.org.

[Jesse]

Ari - Great job - I hope this makes more people realize the amount of trash we purchase and don't consume in our daily lives. I buy and consume ... and I recycle and compost as much as I can. I believe we are responsible to take care of what God has given us.
For the record I am a conservative Republican - let’s all do our part in this journey of life.
There has to be economic sense it recycling or there wouldn’t be scrap & junk yards !

[Ananonymous]

If you are concerned with the environment, don't you find it hypocritical to buy printed newspaper?
I noticed several among your trash.

[Datta]

Hi, I just saw your story today. I thought about doing this once although am in no position to do so. I see how much trash I create on a weekly basis and it makes me ill.
I think those who are posting negative comments are missing the point. This is a CALL TO CONSCIOUSNESS. It's about getting the idea into your mind for the sake of awareness. How many people don't even think about what they leave behind? Now they do. Thanks.
I built almost my entire house out of re-used materials and left-overs from job sites. This affluent society creates lots of waste and it's up to some of us to gobble it up and make use of it.

[David]

I wanted to respond to Mania from Germany. When he or she(can't tell what a Mania is)said "Our economic system, aka undamped competition leads us to the absolute end of all time, as long as we don't assign priorities." Well OK Mania, I assign your priority to come over here and clean up my shit. I have a thought for you, since you obviously don't have your own....Take care of yourself and let others who have common sense worry about the environment. I guess there has always been doom sayers such as yourself who go around crying about the future and cannot enjoy the present. I'll say this so you understand Mania I know you want to control everyone like your hero Hitler did, but I have news for you THE EARTH IS FINE!!!!!!

[david]

A little history lesson for all you sheep out there. Recycling first started in the late 1800's when there weren't any garbage pick ups and people would throw their rubbish out of their front window. The dogs, pigs and SCAVENGERS would come and pick through the trash and take what they could use, the rest would absorb into the ground. Then WWI broke out and it became patriotic to use American products rather than foreign. Some faceless politician comes along and says "Let's recycle for the earth"!. My point is it keeps changing from generation to generation. There is no right reason to recycle and there never will be. WAKE UP PEOPLE AND GET A LIFE!!!! Think for yourselves and don't waste your life away like this LOSER did for the past year. The earth and everything on it is FINE!!!! Your Welcome....

[Wendy B.]

I think what you've done is commendable, and the best part is that you did your thing and THEN you posted the results, rather than posting as you go. That way, you didn't get demoralized by the naysayers - of whom there seem to be quite a few just in your comment section.

More's the pity. Regardless of whether it's too late for us to do something about the mess we've made, it just makes sense to live more in harmony with nature than the be tromping all over it as if we, human beings, are the only entities of consequence.

Kudos to you, Ari. Looking forward to learning more about your project, and your suggestions for ways my family could also be more cognizant of our wasteful habits.

[Mania from Germany]

I was reading all the comments below and I was a little shocked. "The Earth was there for billions of years and it will be there for billions of years." Haha, no. There was a beginning of earth and there will be the end of it, whether we like it or not. Our economic system, aka undamped competition leads us to the absolute end of all time, as long as we don't assign priorities. It isn't "just in the human's nature" to have garbage. The pursuit of a comfortable life has just altered structures, heaviliy supported by liberalism. If the government told us to use jars instead of milk containers we'd do it...it's our choice how long the world will survive IN SPITE OF human beings. Someone has to wake us up. Nice try.

[Karl Schulz]

What can I say? Back when I was in LA, you did see any pinheads or geeks doing stupid things like this. Us senior citizens can't be hoarding our garbage. I'd have to store it in my P.T. Cruiser. Oh, well. Whatta ya gonna do? Nuthin.

[Margaret]

Can I open M-Flee and take a wital sign? You go to 2 E a take a sour. One go back! Okay, F-you.

[Pop Squally]

You be 'thick in the paint' with all that trash. Your crib must be smellin' hella' bad. You be turnin' in your empties for some
chips. I couldn't be doing what you did 'cause my old dressing be hecka' covered with
puss from the hole in my ass. Peace out, homie.

[Eric]

Ari,

Awesome Idea!! I wonder how much a family of 4 generates.

2 Questions:
1. Did you clean off the condoms before keeping them in the trash? (I hope so)

2. Did you consider how much toilet paper is consumed in a year? (As I doubt you saved it). Perhaps counting the rolls would suffice?

Eric

[Karl Schulz]

You are a freakin' pinhead!

[Kelly]

Kudos to you! Thanks for respecting our earth :) I like to think that I'm generally pretty good about recycling and minimizing trash but I'm sure I could be even more responsible....as your story reveals. I'm going to pass this site onto several friends. Thanks for the inspiration:)

[David]

By the way I throw everything away. I go out of my way to waste and use as much plastic bags as possible. I am a realist and can think for myself, unlike you sheep. Go jump off a cliff losers. I just threw motor oil in my garbage as usual. What are you gonna do about it??? You people and your ego, to actually believe humans can make a difference, we are too insignificant to hurt or help this earth. The earth has been here for billions of years and it will be here for another billion whether I put a can in the garbage or recycle it. Duuuhhhhh. Get a job and/or responsibilities and you won't have time to worry about useless things like garbage.

[David]

IT'S A FACT IT COSTS 3 TIMES MORE TO RECYCLE THAN BUILD FROM SCRATCH. 3 TIMES THE MONEY, 3 TIMES THE RESOURCES AND 3 TIMES THE POLLUTION. PEOPLE LIKE YOU DON'T WANT TO FACE FACTS, BUT THERE IS NO DENYING. NEW YORK TIMES SPECULATED IT IS 5 TIMES MORE DAMAGE, BUT I WENT WITH THE MORE RESEARCHED 3 TIMES. YOU JUST CAUSED TRIPLE THE DAMAGE WITH YOUR SELFISH ACT. WAKE UP AND GET THESE "GREEN" EARTH THOUGHTS OUT OF YOUR HEAD. PRETTY WARM WINTER WE ARE HAVING HUH? I THINK IT IS COLDER THAN NORMAL, SO WHERE IS THE GLOBAL WARMING????LOSER....

[Pam]

Good on you! I try in my own way to be a responsible steward of resources. Knitting grocery bags OUT OF plastic grocery sacks, recycling everything I can, and NOT buying bottled water. I shudder when I think of all the good items carelessly thrown out.I hazard a guess that a family of 4 could live, and live well, off what their neighbors throw away. Lol. I might want to move to Marin and try that....

[Pam]

Good on you! I try in my own way to be a responsible steward of resources. Knitting grocery bags OUT OF plastic grocery sacks, recycling everything I can, and NOT buying bottled water. I shudder when I think of all the good items carelessly thrown out.I hazard a guess that a family of 4 could live, and live well, off what their neighbors throw away. Lol. I might want to move to Marin and try that....

[Rich]

well this is an interesting concept. when i first looked at this blog i instantly thought of a person collecting garbage. but the way you handled this is different from what i anticipated. very organized and thought out. its not really a hazard if hes got it planned out and not making a junkpile in his house.

[Aaron]

What's wrong with being a "Liberal, crack-pot Berkeley radical"? :)

Rock on my brother!

[Michele]

To the writer concerned about plastic water bottles, here's a healthier alternative. Buy a water filter and get unlimited clean tasty water that you can carry around in your own reusable containers. The only thing you will throw away is the filter, and your water will not taste like plastic.

Filterpros.com has a great selection of filters. I like the UTC-500 which you attach under the kitchen sink. It initially costs more than a case of bottled water, but you will save more in the long run. It's totally worth the investment. Good luck.

[Deborah D]

Did you compose the food waste? From the photos it looks like cardboard, plastic, etc. only.

Really cool! I shared with my kids too.

Do a Google for Bottle Village in Simi Valley. 'Grandma' Prisby built a whole lot of buildings all out of bottles she collected from the trash. A neat place to visit too (we are there all the time to organize field trips with friends that run it).

Sincerely,

Debbie

[Martini]

My questions is: Why were you saving paper and plastics, and other items that could be recycled? Yes, it would have been less "trash" to add to your total, but it would have been better to recycle than to save. We discovered that when we started to recycle any and everything possible, our total trash per week went down dramatically.

[lala]

Dear Ari,

I totally understand your perspective.

Our community last year started to do single stream recycling, which you can recycle everything without sorting it. It made my life easier, and my garbage was reduced from 4 garbage cans into one garbage can.

The majority of the "trash" went into recycling, and that filled up a supersized waste container. The recycling truck comes by every week to dump it in the dump truck.

It blows my mind that I have wasted trash for the past 20 years, and think of all the landfill I filled. Now I can recycle with the peace of mind that I am contributing to the landfill less and less each year.

As a result of this experience, I have looked into other ways of saving the world from needless trash by using cloth bags while grocery shopping, going to the library instead of purchasing books or magazine, buy recycled products, and the list goes on and on.

Thanks for an eye opener, and I hope many people will hear about you and get enlighten by it.

Happy new year!

[Sarah]

Wow! This was an inspirational project. Don't mind the people that are being mean. They are just jealous that they haven't thought of something this great. You are making a difference.

[Mary]

To negative posters: grow up and get informed. This is important, and whatever we can do to reduce waste is better than nothing. To posters bashing Republicans/conservatives: I'm a Republican/conservative and I probably generate less trash/garbage than 98% of the folks posting here, so stop with the sterotyping/bashing. It doesn't help anyone. Based on the recycling containers of my Republican/conservative neighbors on trash day, they are doing a pretty good job, too.

[maximum efficiency]

Do you buy as much crap with packaging as the average American slog? Do you buy sensibly -- as in what you truly want, not just mindless compulsion? You may need an adjustment factor for the average consumer idiot who just buys crap because it's in the store with a price tag to get a more realistic sense of the volume of the average idiot.
And how about a comparison? What if a comparable amount of excess waste was not generated by not overconsuming, and instead the money spent were put into an investment? The profit benefit would be the best way to convince the offended anti-posters. You can have your cake and eat it too -- by doing something better with your money before it parts from your wallet (or I suppose that would be "gets earmarked from your children's future to pay for your currently incurred debt").

[Robert]

You are an imbecile! There is no way that what you have there is a years worth of garbage. People will believe anything! I will be glad when people will learn that not every idiotic story on the net is true.

[larraby]

Thank you for doing this and for letting others know. You get a lot of flack, but if your intention is true, it matters little what others think. I wish that people would take the time to notice the footprint they leave behind instead of bringing negativity into your attempt. To the (supposedly conservative, supposedly republican) haters: My Christian upbringing has taught me that we have 'dominion' over the world--which is not a right to destroy it but a responsibility to preserve it!
The 5 "R"'s: Repent (your worldly, consumer, materialistic ways-all vanity, all sin), Recieve (Christ, who died for your sins; the ones you knowingly commit AND the ones you do out of ignorance), Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (you know these other three) . Sure, naysayers, It may not "save the world", but it might save your soul when you have to answer to God.

[AA]

It's about time more people started thinking about TRASH. Even the numnuts who seem quite offended by the project are learning something despite themselves. My favorite comment is that you are "dummer than a day old democrat". It's probably best to learn how to spell d-u-m-b BEFORE applying the word to others...

[K Beenham]

It is too true - one can't just "throw" something away because it is filling up the landfills. Before I make any purchases, I made damn sure I need the items.

People should stop with the bottled water - drink tap water.

[jose teixeira]

Here goes a suggestion for your next year´s project: collect all your pee and crap for a hole year.

[citizen (of earth)]

Admire your dedication and attitude. I totally agree with you on lot of trash being generated from packaging, including carry out bags at grocery stores. Imagine the reduction in the number of plastic or paper bags
if each one of us carry our own reusable bags to carry back groceries from the store.

[Mary]

Hi Ari!

I think you just gave me an excellent idea for a student social studies project! I don't think that your task in creating bundles and bundles of trash is crazy or weird at all! I think you have a true appreciation for the world and it's needs! More power to you! Can't wait to hear about your next idea!

[Salam]

Vraiment impressionnant !!!!

J'espère que cela en fera réfléchir plus d'un et que les choses changerons !*

Jim de France

[Carl LaFong]

Hi,

I love the idea - good for you. Way too much waste in our society without a little thought as to maybe reducing our consumption. Your 'act' has raised this into our conscious thought, forcing some people to think a bit. Again - good for you and good for all of us if people take it into their life.

[Samuel Johnston]

I don't understand why some people feel so much anger towards your private project, except that it must threaten them a great deal and on a very deep level. In honest discussion, with a group of people, I find the first one to say they don't believe in global warming is the one who drives the biggest gas guzzler. Global warming is REAL, the only debate is over what is causing or contributing to it. The pollution from oversized vehicles is REAL whether or not you believe Humans are contributing to global warming.
Congratulations, Ari, for raising awareness and encouraging thoughtful dialogue (in most cases) on important issues that affect everyone Human and their descendents.

[ssb]

opinion (not opion)

[ssb]

I am a very conservative Christian. I say that because some have put you down saying you are a "liberal". I cannot understand how anyone could say that taking care to point out how we destroy God's creation by poor stewardship is a liberal trait. In my opion, you appear conservative (look up the definition of conservative!) I applaud your efforts. We should take care not to be wasteful. I am reminded of the project undertaken by someone else a couple of years ago to buy nothing new for an entire year. I wish I could find the motivation and self control to attempt such a feat!

[darth_consumer]

i wonder how many times you accidentally through something away.

i imagine that you generate a lot less trash and have a better complexion than i do. more often than not, i'm microwaving my meal and using products to treat my resultant acne.

what about fingernail clippings and vacuum cleaner bags? did you keep all that, too?

[Paul from Seattle]

Very enlightening experiment and I think you expose our serious ignorance on this subject. For those that are aggravated by this is, the only conclusion that I can come to is that they are in denial about how they negatively affect the earth with their waste. I suspect most of them don't have kids and don't care about the legacy they will leave to future generations...very poor character and selfish beyond reproach in my opinion. I'd love to be wrong about this.

[cliffy]

a million little pieces of trash and one lo-def picture. hmmm.

[Susie Shipman]

Dear Ari,

I can't wait to pass your story along to others - thankyou for your hard work, your commitment, your willingness to be OK with yourself and your choices:) Right now, we live on a Caribbean island where there is almost NO recycling. Only soda cans may be recycled, and this is through a private enterprise. Of course, one must consider the shipping of such items off-island, so the benefit is dubious. Also, in this tropical paradise, little produce is grown locally, most grocery items are shipped in, subject to all the packaging (not to mention the refrigeration) that is one of the horrors of our consumerist ways, and STYROFOAM is beyond ubiquitous. My heart breaks a little every day, and while living without some level of consumer hypocrisy is not possible, I continue to think that it is CRITICAL to make whatever effort we can, to do all the small things that we EACH can do to change ourselves, and hopefully give pause to others who observe our behaviors. So, again, thankyou! What a fun, inspiring story to send us into 2008 with renewed hope, thoughtfulness and awareness, and a big smile!

[BFG]

Ari,

I think that your project was fantastic, time consuming, and incrediblly earth conscious. I try hard to use as little packaged food as I can and reuse as many materials as possible, but after reading your blog I realize that I still have a long way to go and can try harder. I think you had an incredible idea and I support you in all your efforts. Thanks for posting your blog and trying to send the message that people (especially wasteful and ignorant americans) need to consume less and resuse more. Don't worry about the other assholes that left mean comments, they just do not understand the implications of their wasteful actions and just want to anonymously criticize someone for trying to do something different and thought provoking. Good luck with your future endeavors. Thanks!

[Just Pondering a Point]

I like the idea but sometimes I think people are more concerned about how different they are being.

Isn't burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel to go to Hawaii bad for the earth?

I sometimes wonder about people that claim to "worry about mother earth" and the "future of our children". I think most are just trying to be "IN" with their group of friends.
Sort of like a tatoo on your back...is it really for yourself?? You definitely can't see it so how do you so call enjoy it? Or is it just show off?

[Shelley Kong]

Your are a real friend of the planet earth.
Many parents only think of giving the best education, food, nice houses etc to their children and yet they don't realise that they are leaving a polluted, toxic world to future generations.
I am a teacher and I believe that educating the public is one of the solutions! Some people are just ignorant about the impact of rubbish.

[Sineater]

True, garbage does not "go away." Of course, it was always there to begin with, merely in another form!

We flatter ourselves in thinking that our conceptions of matter matter. Nature is never out of balance.

[homebirth]

Good job, I trust when you have children you and your partner will give birth at home , thus reducing waste and energy. I often keep in mind to use the least amount of disposable equipment when assisting at a birth. Your passion and clarity is very inspiring.

[Tamuning]

I find it hilarious that conservatives are so put off by this. What part of this private exercise are you finding so personally offensive? What should you care what someone does in the privacy of his own house? For him, it was an interesting project. It would something I would personally do but it is not for me to say what he can and cannot do as long as it is legal. He was curious about the results and he did it.

[dwj]

Great project. We don't realize how wasteful we are unless we stop and think hard about what we do. Keep up the good work.

[BFI International]

GARBAGE IS NOT JUNK. ARI LIVES IN SAN FRANCISCO WHICH HAS AN INNOVATIVE GARBAGE COLLECTION THAT TURNS HOUSEHOLD FOOD SCRAPS INTO METHANE BIO FUEL AND RECYCLES THE REST OF THE METALS AND SOLID OBJECTS.

SADLY OTHER CITIES HAVE NOT BEGUN THIS PROGRAM YET BUT HE IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK BY COMPOSTING WHAT HE CAN.
I ASSUME THE PERSON THAT WANTS TO REPORT ARI TO THE FIRE MARSHAL OR HEALTH DEPT WOULD BENEFIT FROM A GOOD PILE OF MANURE THROWN OVER THE FENCE!!!

[BFI International]

GARBAGE IS NOT JUNK. ARI LIVES IN SAN FRANCISCO WHICH HAS AN INNOVATIVE GARBAGE COLLECTION THAT TURNS HOUSEHOLD FOOD SCRAPS INTO METHANE BIO FUEL AND RECYCLES THE REST OF THE METALS AND SOLID OBJECTS.

SADLY OTHER CITIES HAVE NOT BEGUN THIS PROGRAM YET BUT HE IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK BY COMPOSTING WHAT HE CAN.
I ASSUME THE PERSON THAT WANTS TO REPORT ARI TO THE FIRE MARSHAL OR HEALTH DEPT WOULD BENEFIT FROM A GOOD PILE OF MANURE THROWN OVER THE FENCE!!!

[fred savage]

Picture or it did not happen.

[Liz]

Wow, you're a dedicated fellow. Congratulations! I'm looking forward to seeing your film. We started doing composting and collecting waste products for recycling about 3 years ago. We don't have a municipal collection service for recycling, so it tends to pile up for a month before we lug it down to the collection point. I'm always amazed at how much we collect during that time even though we are rather conscious about what we buy and consume! And my municipal rubbish bin is just about empty every week.

[Jeny]

You rawk! I'm so happy you got press in the Chron.

I actually did this once (with packaging mostly) when living in Madrid, more for the whimsical and curiously colorful cardboard and plastic than to really make a statement but also to see how much it all added up to be; an art project was planned but never finished. It was really crazy how much shtuff accumulated!

You totally inspire me and it's refreshing to know that there are folks out there ready to take a good hard look at our consumption behaviors and let the world know about it.

[Janet]

Congratulations to you for bringing into public focus the general amount of trash each of us generates in a year's time. I thought I was being compulsive by recycling at the curb each cat/dog food can and piece of recyclable plastic, but not any more. I will not feel I am wasting my time...our county's milk jugs are compressed into huge garage-sized blocks and sent off for recycling. I never put anything into the garbage which could be recycled. Each of us is responsible for our own waste, whether we realize it or not...we can, on our own, make a difference. It becomes a community effort when it is economically unfeasible to allow such recyclables to sit in the landfill and take up space for centuries. Thank you for your efforts.

[some dude]

O.K we get it!! you are that 1 person trying to save the planet. I applause your efforts.......No!...Really I do...it's just that, no matter what we do with our trash our world population will continue to grow as will our need to get rid of our trash. So why bother??

Either way....we're screwed. don't be affraid to put your trash on the curb, your home won't smell of it either.

[srk]

Great idea -- it's already got me thinking ab out what I can do to cut my own consumption...so many things!

[Cherry]

Buy reusable...recycle...mmmm, yeah, but above all, STOP BUYING SO MUCH STUFF.

You could just about fit in a backpack the things you NEED (not counting food) -- everything else around you is excess. We should all try to reduce this excess (it feels good, trust me).

[shBUTloudly]

first off, awesome job Ari! I hope people pay attention to your cool project.
---
for the H20 bottle lady--just have to say--you're health will be better if you DID NOT buy bottled water. it's an unregulated industry. why not have a high-end filter at your home and REFILL a bottle rather than buy endless bottles? I personally never understood why folks buy cases of bottles of unregulated water..sometimes this water is from the faucet anyway..!! so much waste...when 95% of municipalities water has been tested as better than 95% of the bottled water in the market. ever wondered why evian tastes so strange? that's b/c they over-pumped that spring decades ago!! good luck, my friend so glad you're thinking!!
..
Ari--hit up SFSU cinema department. we'd love to make your project into a movie. i myself was an environmentalist in the early 90's..remember EARTH FIRST!!!!
?
i gave you my website too if you want to contact me personally.
--
finally,, not to be long-winded but I hope folks wake up b/c i know that it is so hard to share the planet with so much selfishness all the time. seeing you and you're challenge makes me believe a little bit in humans.

[Ted]

Ari, what a great idea! Just found out about your project thru wire-service article in our local newspaper (guess that's why all these comments are dated from a day ago).

I hafta smile when I read the minority comments that accuse you of being a Liberal, crack-pot Berkeley radical.........as I'm sure you realize, such criticism is nearly always from folks who, deep down, feel threatened by the possibility that there may actually BE some [to borrow the term] 'inconvenient truths' that go along with the extent of all the creature comforts we enjoy in this country at this point in time. So, it's easier for them to deny, deny, deny by consuming to the hilt, rather than be reminded of the cumulative effects. As many wise people have said in various words: if you're not getting criticized by SOMEbody, you must not be doing anything worthwhile.

These little bottles water are one thing I just CANNOT get; there's been plenty of revelation that their contents are usually no better, sometimes worse, than the perfectly-safe water you get out of the tap (if you're worried, put a filter on your tap); yet gazillions of 'em get bought every year. And I doubt even half the empties wind up in recycling bins. The irony is, they were made popular & trendy by the sort of young, active people you'd associate with giving a rip about saving the planet.

I usually feel a bit smug about all the stuff that fills up two recyling bins every week at the curb --- cardboard, plastic, etc. etc., all meticulously rinsed & flattened. Then it finally hit me: there's something wrong with this picture that we even HAVE that much trash to recycle! Another observation I realize from your blog is how much can be kept out of the wastestream by composting food scraps. With a family & young kids, the garbage disposal is our best friend, but I sincerely feel like I'm gonna go that extra step now, & feel guilty about it till I do.

I encourage you to be optimistic about people's intentions (as I am)......I really think most people wanna do the right thing, and it may take awhile for a good practice to become mainstream; recyling's one example --- it's practically second-nature for everyone in our city (as I imagine all across the nation) to separate their recyclables out. Here in my city (Charlotte, NC), which is growing at a fast pace, we just opened the first leg of a light-rail system last month.......a few naysayers raised enough of a noise about its construction costs that they actually managed to get a referendum on the ballot to repeal a 1/2-cent tax for mass transit --- which was subsequently defeated by 70% of the voters who understood its worth. And guess what: the daily ridership is consistently 25% higher than the best projection, and many times that when there's an event downtown! Those naysayers, who were convinced nobody would make the effort to get their butts out from behind the steering wheel, are now conspicuously silent.

[Kerri]

Hi Ari
This is a great project. I was lucky enough to have a really old man, an inventor, as my father (b1908). To him, everything that was 'produced' was a resource. I was also lucky enough to grow up in a family that liked 'living outside the box'. I did not eat take-out of any kind until I was 13, and even then we all agreed it could never match my mother's fresh ingredient cooking (and she was a scientist, not a 'house wife'). My brother is a business man who has made his millions though a family-generated 'full use' philosophy - everything is valuable until its use, in whatever form, has been utterly depleted. I've travelled in many third-world countries where the most minor item (in our view) has been reused if not recycled. On my first trip to India I drank bottled water until I realised I had added 300 water bottles to their (non-existent) landfill areas. Now, when travelling I use a water filter. Kokalta tap water is totally healthy and drinkable if filtered. And my filter saves me money (paid for itself in 60 days). To be conscious of our wasted consumpution not only saves us individuals money, but saves the planet from our crap.

I'd love to follow your lead and keep all my generated crap for a year but my housemates would rebel. Instead I am going to take those extra minutes to take spare vege bags to the store, ensure that every item that is reusable is reused or given to someone who can reuse it (ie: my old car which is in fine nick but needs a new head gasket, or my soon-to-be out of date CDMA mobile phone which can be used in many 3rd world countries).

Consumption denial is the modern world's greatest scourge. Thanks for making this your 2007 focus.

Love and best wishes,
Kerri

[al marie]

cool idea.
just out of curiousity, do you have pets?
what would you/ did you do with something like cat litter. it's already a compact mass of organic matter and trash.

[Josh and Keren]

Ari,

We are so impressed -- but not surprised, you have so much to give to the world. Keep inspiring.

love ya,

Josh and Keren (and Tali and Ben, for whose generation this matters more than anything else.)

[Shannon]

Contrary to some person's comment...I am not laughing at you at all. I suppose ignorance truly is bliss. And we all know it is easier to be lazy and not take responsibility for our actions. I think that if this act inspires some to be a little more responsible than it was worth it. Why can't these companies try to provide less packaging for their products. Especially with children's toys. It's ridiculous the amount cardboard and plastic required for a $5 action figure. Ugh. Good luck trying to enlighten the ignorant and show love to the haters.

[B]

A years' worth of trash that is, as stated here, the size and shape of a queen-sized bed and frame is no more of a fire hazard than say...a Christmas tree covered in lights or the weekly refuse that we accumulate and leave at curbside only to regenerate the next week. Sometimes neighbors with the best intentions miss the mark in the end.

I'm the most impressed that you composted to remove the organic matter that would indeed smell or attract bugs and kept only that which is not easily or naturally recycled. This is a fairly simple task and yet most people would assume exactly as some of your readers have, that it's buggy, smelly and a fire hazard.

It's funny to read the reactions here from people who automatically assume that "saving trash" means creating a dump in your living room, clearly not reading the extent to which you went, nor even attempting to understand the purpose behind the project. You don't have to be an earth-loving green freak to have your eyes opened by a simple experiment. After all, that's how people learn.

[Jimmy]

Where exactly did you put all that trash? Any photos?

[Derek]

Were I a neighbor of yours and learned of your "project," I would have reported you to the Fire Marshall and/or the Health Department. There's a line between making a point and creating an actual hazard, and you went way over it, in my opinion.

[userr8507]

Great project. I reuse all bottles and boxes now.

I thought that I would warn you, the shut a man down in Detroit for this in around 1998 - too much junk on his property!

It's best to buy reusables only! We ALL live and learn!

[William]

People need to wake up and realize, that there is a serious garbage problem on this earth! The only viable solution is recycling. In truth, practically every product we use on a day to day basis, can by recycled. Yes even dirty diapers! It's just a question of compliance. Bottom line is, you cant give people the choice, you have to make it mandatory. You don't recycle, you don't get garbage pickup. Plain and simple.

[Mark M]

It really doesn’t surprise me that a Berkeley resident did this. I’m sure when you get together with your Biodiesel using and Hybrid-driving friends you really feel that you are superior to the rest of us and are actually saving the planet.
You are not and the rest of us are just laughing at you.
An oh, you are not having any effect on the planet whatsoever.

[maximum efficiency]

Thanks for giving a visual aspect to it. Most humans can't appreciate the concept of waste unless they have visuals because they can't contemplate cumulation over time or simple math like "a bottle per day over one year of 365 days" -- which results in $xx of spurious oil consumption (as it runs as $96/barrel, record high).
To the haters on this post -- don't say "recycling is for liberal idiots"; rather say "maximizing efficiency - duh, there's a way I can make some money". Do a service to your country of producing material rather than the disservice of patting yourself on the back for mass consumption.
It's a win-win -- reuse things, reduce material consumption, and save money. You say "just get a new one from new resources" -- but the cleverer Chinese buy our recycled paper for packaging our new crap. Recyclying paper to sell back to them would at the least be a way to reduce our trade deficit to help the US dollar (which is currently recycling used food in the bottom of the toilet).

[Missy]

Wow...lots of ignorant people out there, huh? Maybe they should have read your other posts about trash v/s garbage. I agree that the amount you said you generated is a lot less than I would have thought. Good for you!

[Dixie]

Interesting concept...I tend to agree with previous posters saying how funny it is that people get so angry because you have made a conscious choice to affect the environment in your own way..If more people were like you in that respect by making an active commitment to enhance our environment, we may not be in the shape we are currently in..But there are more ignorant than informed.....

[wtf man]

do u have that disease where u can't throw away ur stuff? or were u doing this as a form of protest? either way, i think u should get urself checked at the doctors

[THE DIRTY GUY]

WHAT A WASTE OF TIME.......I WOULD HATE TO LIVE NEXT TO YOU..HOW MANY BUGS DID YOU GENERATE IN YOUR YEAR OF COLLECTING TRASH

[LD]

wow -- i admire your concept and dedication! after reading your blog, i thought of a couple art pieces you might find interesting:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060928/ai_n16765329 -- a scavenger hunt put together by artist Joshua Sofaer. as a participant i received a dvd he made as "thanks" where he addresses the three day showing of selected "trash" items teams found. let me know if you want a copy (j. sofaer encourages the sharing of this dvd) --it isn't trash !!
and
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/07/23/styrofoam-hummer.html -- a life size hummer made of styrofoam "found" at the dump! it was displayed in sf and amazingly well done.

and to the water drinkers, consider (filtered?) tap water in this reusable bottle (i've had one for years -- they're great) http://colehardware.com/sigg/

thanks for sharing -- very inspirational!

[miss_oh]

Hello!

I wanted to say what you did deserves a pat on the back. It takes a lot of effort and patience to collect an year's worth of trash. I hope you find a sculptor to give all that away to! You should find local artists and post up on bulletons.

[miss_oh]

Hello!

I wanted to say what you did deserves a pat on the back. It takes a lot of effort and patience to collect an year's worth of trash. I hope you find a sculptor to give all that away to! You should find local artists and post up on bulletons.

[Mike]

Excellent idea. Its a good way to bring to people's attention what they are doing with "waste" on a daily basis. You mentioned you hoped to donate the goods to a sculptor. I'm a sculptor, but I'm coming up short on ideas on what to do with it. If you have an idea or vision in mind, it is you that must proceed with it. We are all artists at heart (you wouldn't have collected the raw materials if you weren't), so I think you ought to just go for it. Any technical issues you encounter will be easily resolved with a creative spark as you proceed step by step. Enjoy the process, and I look forward to seeing the manifestation of the idea that crossed your mind.

[Paul]

Good Job. Keep it up..the haters will try to cut you down for having a conscience.

[Jezzy]

I have to ask, but didn't your house stink?

[Aaron]

Very cool. And really interesting. So.. a queen-size mattress & box spring in addition to what you composted -- actually a lot less than I would have guessed in terms of volume. What's the breakdown like: glass/plastic/metal/etc?

[Maddie]

Wow, I can't believe people get this angry because you saved your garbage for a year. It's astounding, isn't it? I watched a news expose one time about a landfill that was dug up from the 1940s-1950s. There were full cans of food, heads of lettuce that were only rotted on the outside, clothing, books, toys, glass bottles and jars. Garbage does not "go away." It just sits there polluting the environment. So much of it should be recyled, reused or composted. I even wrote a letter to the president encouraging him to look into alternatives to landfills. The only response I got was a mass mailed letter with a copy of his picture in it. Hmmm, more trash to add to the pile....

[Marci]

Congrats on the project!!

I agree with most everything you have said here. Sadly, the majority of folks are so uninformed when it comes to recycling that it's not even worth talking to them about it. Take bottled water - The water tastes like nothing and there is so much waste of energy involved in the production of it. It's a waste of our natural resources to produce the bottles and is horrible for the environment.

I can understand SOME bottled water, but really, unless you live in an area where the water is bad, there is no reason to buy it. And if the water is bad where you live, you really should consider buying it in those 5 gallon refillable containers.

I wish that we could go back to the old ways of taking your glass jars to be swapped out for fresh jars of milk and juice. No, it's not as convenient. Yes, it forces responsibility - something we are seriously lacking in society today.

I'm curious about one thing. Did you add any paper products to your compost?

Thanks, ~~Marci~~

[miladyaces]

This is sort of in response to Tatiana Jones' question about the plastic water bottles. I temp'd for a recycling company for a few months (Sonoco Recycling) They accepted household plastics, grades 1 & 2 If you look at the plastic there will be a triangle made out of arrows with a number in the middle, this is the grade of the plastic. If there is not triangle, then it is probably not recyclable. Most water bottle I have seen fall into the grade 1 or 2 category. Hope this will help.

Ari, I think this is great! Crazy, but great. Hopefully your sacrifice will encourage people to be more aware of how much waste we produce. Thanks!

[towhacko]

can we just cut to the chase and say you are the biggest asshole ive ever heard of...i guarantee you are a liberal !!!and you are dummer than a day-old democrat!!

[Trashy Troll]

you must be stinky

you will get your few days of internet fame and then disappear into internet phenomenon history

you should collect your garbage for 10 years
and then make a blog

[Kellyann]

Hi Ari,

When my husband and I rented a small studio apartment in San Jose, I refused to move my big kitchen or buy a whole lot of new stuff for the new kitchen. Two cups, two spoons, four plates, two bowls, six knives and four forks. I started collected the plastic that food was packaged in and now have a collection of bowls and such that are really useful. I am always amazed at the packing for food: hard plastic and saran wrap types, totally usable in many ways. For some reason, when I think of another way to use the inverted bubble top of a rotisserie chicken, it makes me think of the soda bottle in The Gods Must be Crazy.

There is one positive aspect to landfills. When my students worry about dwindling resources, I tell them that years from now, our children will find these gold mines filled by our destructive consumption.

[Titania Jones]

Dear Ari:

What a great project. I'd like to know if there are any things you stopped purchasing because you found the packaging too wasteful.

I have been thinking about stop buying plastic water bottles, (Right after i finally started to buy bottled water) I noticed they fill up my garbage pretty quickly.
I heard that they end up in landfill's and alot of them can't be recycled.

Are there any specific types or brands of plastic water bottles that can be recycled?

Do you know anything about water bottles and landfills?

Good luck with more news on your project.

Titania Jones
bubbamail@operamail.com